UNSC Navy
The UNSC Navy is the branch of the UNSCDF responsible mostly for naval operations in space, though they sometimes operate in the oceans with their terrestrial arm. Its roles include ship-to-ship combat, orbital bombardment, the deployment of atmospheric and space fighters, and the delivery of UNSC Marines, especially ODSTs, into combat. History The UNSC Navy was commissioned with the UNSC Marine Corps in 2163[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/factions/unsc Halo Waypoint: Universe - Factions - UNSC] as a result of the UN's need to oversee and monitor Marine deployments from space. The UNSC Navy is a direct descendant of the UN Navy. Insurrection Human-Covenant war At the onset of the Human-Covenant war in early 2525, the UNSC Navy was hopelessly outclassed both technologically and numerically by the Covenant juggernaut. The Covenant Navy was fielding (among other technologies) energy shielding and plasma weaponry that allowed them to deliver and receive more punishment than their human counterparts. Superior slipspace navigation also allowed the Covenant to travel more than four hundred times faster than human vessels, with incomparable accuracy. This discrepancy was still very evident towards the climax of the war some 27 years later, in 2552 and 53, despite humanity's strong efforts to both innovate and emulate Covenant, and to a lesser extent Forerunner, technology. On November 1st, 2525, the UNSC went to full alert and stripped down the Colonial Military Administration, awarding NAVCOM any remaining CMA naval units.Halo Wars - Collectible: Halo Timeline Most of the battles during the war incorporated elements of the Navy. During the early stages of the war, Admiral Preston Cole was given command of large sections of the Navy.Halo Wars: Genesis - pages 1-10 Sometime after 2535, a major colony for manufacturing materials, Camber, was assaulted and destroyed by the Covenant.Halo 2: Anniversary - Collectible: Terminal 2 - Honor Bound In late 2552, Reach came under attack and was eventually glassed,Halo: Reach - Levels: Winter Contingency to The Pillar of Autumn effectively killing off the largest shipbuilding yards in the UNSC.[http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=intel&cid=24020 Bungie.net: Halo: Reach - Intel] A multitude of ships and personnel were killed off and destroyed in the battle. Post-war After the war, the shipyards on and around Mars became the primary shipbuilding sites for the UNSC.[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-have-s-moa Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Have S'moa] As well, shipyards at Tribute existed, with materials coming from various colonies like the glassed colony of Ruthersburg.[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/canon-fodder-buzz-generating Halo Waypoint: Canon Fodder - Buzz Generating] As well, the Navy would begin to use the planet Oban to stage attacks into nearby systems. By 2558, the balance of power had shifted, and the UNSC Navy was outmatching Jul 'Mdama's Covenant's technology, as demonstrated at Requiem. This has been paraded with the launch of the largest, and most sophisticated ship in the Navy arsenal, which exceeds the in size, and rivaled its shielding and weaponry. The UNSC has further refitted its current fleets with reverse-engineered Covenant and Forerunner technology gathered during the war, allowing them to not only hold their own against, but to surpass the previously superior Covenant ships. However, with the resurgence of massive amounts of Forerunner tech, the Navy still has its challenges. This was made evident when the Ur-Didact attempted to compose Earth. The UNSC Infinity only created a small hole in the Didact's ship when firing two of its MAC cannons.Halo 4 - Level: Midnight As well, when the Created began using the Guardians, entire fleets and orbital defense clusters were shut down by EMPs.Halo 5: Guardians - Level: Guardians Branches *Naval Command (NAVCOM) **Fleet Command (FLEETCOM) ***Orbital Defense Command ***Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) ****Beta-5 Division *****SPARTAN-III Program ****Department of Colonial Security ****UNSC Prowler Corps ****ONI Signal Corps **Logistical Operations Command (NavLogCom) ***Office of Investigations (OI) **Naval Special Warfare (NAVSPECWAR) ***ORION Project ***SPARTAN-II Program ***ONI Security Assets Uniforms Like other service branches, the Navy makes use of a number of uniforms. These range from battle dress uniforms to service uniforms worn by maintenance crews. Armament Infantry During the Human-Covenant war, Navy personnel used M6D Personal Defense Weapon Systems.Halo: Combat Evolved - Level: The Pillar of Autumn Ship The primary offensive armament of all UNSC capital ships is the Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (MAC). These weapons are massive coil guns that are used to accelerate projectiles ranging in mass from 600 tons in the case of smaller warships, and 3,000 tons in the case of Super MAC platforms, to extremely high velocities. Almost all UNSC warships are equipped with Archer Missile pods for ship-to-ship engagements, which prove mostly effective against unshielded targets. UNSC ships in 2525 carried Fusion rockets as an offensive weapon but they seem to have been removed or replaced over the course of the war. UNSC ships may also carry ''Shiva''-class Nuclear Missiles. In addition, the UNSC mounts 50mm auto-cannons on its ships for defense against enemy fighters and boarding craft, controlled by shipboard AIs. However, these auto cannons can be used against Covenant capital ships if the two ships are close enough, as displayed by during Operation: UPPER CUT. above Earth.]] UNSC warships also carry significant Marine detachments for internal security, boarding actions, and planetary assault, and carry all the equipment and materiel needed by Marine forces. It is implied that a significant portion of the interior of UNSC warships are devoted to this purpose, as there are armories and barracks that hold these supplies. Ships of the UNSC navy also carry a number of [[GA-TL1 Longsword-class Interceptor|GA-TL1 Longsword-class Interceptor]]. These are armed with 110mm Rotary cannons and ASGM-10 Missiles, and sometimes a Moray space mine system or even a single ''Shiva''-class Nuclear Missile. They can also be remotely-operated and used to carry a remotely-detonated Shiva missile, which, when detonated, effectively destroys both the Longsword and its selected target. Despite all of this firepower, however, UNSC warships have great difficulty defeating Covenant ships even with a numerical advantage. It typically takes multiple hits from a ship-based MAC weapon to disable a Covenant ship's shields, although larger, ODP-based Super MACs can fire a round that can literally shatter Covenant capital ships.Halo: The Fall of Reach - page 297 Archer missiles must be used in tremendous amounts to breach Covenant shield systems. Even with their shields down, Covenant ships have been noted to remain operational after multiple direct hits from normal MAC rounds. This advantage in firepower and shielding gives the Covenant an effective 3:1 ratio and better against UNSC ships in combat. Equipment Respirator packs are worn by UNSC Navy personnel when an atmosphere is not present, and provides an auxiliary supply of Oxygen for the wearer. Subordinates Personnel The UNSC Navy recruits people from across UEG space. Ships The UNSC Navy is comprised of several known fleets constructed of many capital ships and single-ship craft. The UNSC Navy sustained heavy losses of materiél and personnel throughout the war against the Covenant, with many valuable assets being destroyed defending Reach, and a substantial portion of its surviving strength lost during the occupation of Earth by the Prophet of Truth. Facilities Stations ODPs= Orbital Defense Platforms |-| Mobile Stations= Mobile Stations |-| Remote Scanning Outposts= Remote Scanning Outposts |-| Medical= Medical Stations |-| Other= Other Orbital Facilities |-| Ranks Trivia *Many UNSC Navy traditions currently in use were also UN Navy traditions. Preceding the UN Navy, they were various United States Naval traditions. *Naval personnel are sometimes referred to as "swabbies." The term "swabbie" can be a joke or a sign of disrespect. *The UNSC Navy provides the rank structure for the Spartans.Halo: First Strike, page 92 Gallery UNSC_Spirit_of_Fire.png|A refit Phoenix-class colony ship. 375848-unsc_ship_super.jpg|A Marathon-class heavy cruiser. UNSC Savannah over Reach.jpg|A Paris-class heavy frigate. Heart_of_Midlothian_2.png|A UNSC destroyer. PoA_Halo_Arrival.jpg|A refit Halcyon-class light cruiser. H4-AutumnHeavyCruiser-ScanRender.png|An Autumn- class heavy cruiser The Red Horse.JPG|A UNSC stealth vessel. H3_ForwardUntoDawn_Side.png|A Charon-class light frigate. Frigate 3.jpg|A Stalwart-class light frigate. H4-StridentHeavyFrigate-ScanRender.png|A Strident class heavy frigate. Reach mpbeta boneyard 02.jpg|A decommissioned UNSC frigate in the process of deconstruction. HaloReach - Uppercut Slipspace Drive.jpg|UNSC Navy engineers working on a makeshift Slipspace bomb. Halo049.jpg|Cairo Station, an enormous space station in geosynchronous orbit above Earth armed with a Super MAC. HaloIGN9.jpg|UNSC Infinity, the largest and most advanced ship in the UNSC Navy. Reach-pelican.jpg|The ubiquitous D77-TC Pelican dropship, one of the most versatile platforms in the Navy. File:UNSC Home Fleet.jpg|The UNSC Home fleet in Halo 2 File:UNSCAircraftCarrier.png|An Aircraft Carrier near the Mombasa Quays. Appearances *''Halo 2'' *''Halo 3'' *''Halo Wars'' *''Halo 3: ODST *''Halo: Reach'' *''Halo 4'' *''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' *''Halo: The Flood'' *''Halo: First Strike'' *''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'' *''Halo: Contact Harvest'' *''Halo: The Cole Protocol'' *''Halo Legends'' *''Halo Graphic Novel'' *''Halo Wars: Genesis'' *''Halo: Helljumper'' *''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe'' *''Halo: Blood Line'' *''Halo: The Fall of Reach (comic series)'' *''Halo: Spartan Assault'' *''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'' *''Halo: Mortal Dictata'' *''Halo: Escalation'' *''Halo: Initiation'' *''Halo: Hunters in the Dark'' |}} Sources